My Edible Fruit Trees: Panama Berry Trees QLD

Panama Berry

Panama Berry (Cutting)

Comments: -

Plant arrived in Feb 2020 in great condition with soil still damp. Will plant this into a pot after 1-2 weeks outside and provide updates. 

May 2020 - This plant has grown rapidly, almost tripled in size since potting.  We will see how it copes with winter in Toowoomba - may have to bring it inside on cool nights. 

Winter 2020 - brought to Brisbane as worried it wouldn't cope with Toowoomba winter. Unfortunately a possum stripped the plant of every single leaf!

Spring 2020 - Did regrow some leaves, but eventually died ?failed recovery vs needs a bigger pot (in 25cm pot). 

Dec 2020 - Purcharsed and planted new panama berry seedling in 25L pot.

September 2021 - Grew as fast as the first seedling. Survived Toowoomba winter outside in pot - looks pretty unhappy (yellowing leaves) but has new growth. Will have a low threshhold to re-pot into 45L planter bag if continuing to look unhappy during Spring. 

Planted: 2020

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Panama Berry

Planted: 2019

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^9/10

Comments: -

This has to be the fastest growing tree in the world. Wow it just took off like a rocket. As can be seen in these photos mine is around 4-5 meters and I can see it wants to grow more. Proably will end up like 7m tall. Since it is only 14 months old and was pruned last year right back to 2 meters this is amazing growth indeed. Mine is getting too big for the area it is in and needs another large prune again. I am very safe in saying this tree is difficult to keep small.

It fruits all year in the subtropics (Brisbane) with little white flowers which turn to green fruit. They turn red when ripe and are a little soft. The taste is sweet and juicy, a bit like grapes in my opinion. You eat the skin just like grapes and bonus the seeds in the flesh are so small they can be eaten as if seedless. Most of mine are also grape size. So they are like seedless grapes....... Presently they are not thick on the tree but there are none the less always some on the tree ready to eat.

Sadly I have discovered a mafor problem with this tree in addition to its impossibilty to keep small. It has HUGE roots! They are extending like 5-10m from the tree and are very close to the surface. Some have even started to grow! See photo evidence. Be VERY CAREFULL where you plant! This tree is ready to rumble and will take over your back yard. Better to grow in a confined space.

I am planning to cut a decent root that is already growing and move it to a pot bag. I think it will happily grow from the root and I will soon have a new tree in a decent sized contained space. I am testing the pot bag idea with some other trees which I want to keep small. Hope it works out for the long term cause I do really want to keep this tree in my garden. I love the fruit.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Planted: 2017

Height 5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 2 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 60% in After Fruiting

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Urea, Mulch

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting, Yearly, Winter, Spring

Pest Control:

Not needed. Nothing seems to attack the fruit.

Organic Status:Organic

Comments

Btw , Panama berry if full of tiny minuscule seeds , seeds are the slight grit in the berry . Can grow from seeds or cutting ( and runners too ,as you have discovered,).

Panama Berry (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: -

Make sure you spit out the skin as it can be a bit bitter the seeds inside are very sweet. They do like a lot of water when they are fruiting I think. If you are growing them in a pot them make sure that you keep the water up to them.

During Winter they look prety sick but once spring comes around they green up.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, December

Planted: 2006

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 400 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Autumn and Spring

Pruned By: 30% in Summer and Spring

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Comments

Did you really gt 400 kilos of that little tree???

Ahh thanks for picking that up... Meant to be 400 fruit per year.

Panama Berry (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: -

Gosh I love this plant. My pots all go through some unintentional neglect at some stage, so things have got to be able to stand some tough love occasionally. Other than prefering to be in partial shade through summer, this one is easy and fuss free. Can go a few weeks with me forgetting to water it, and still bears beautiful fruit. I'd never tried it before buying it, but it absolutely lived up to its reputation! It is delicious!

If i had to describe the flavour... it's like a lot of people say. Sort of burnt caramel/popcorn. It's most definitely a sweet fruit, but the after taste reminds me of tomato. It's not the least like a tomato or at all acidic like a tomato, though. They're difficult to explain, but super tasty!!

It doesn't get a lot of fertiliser- I just do the compost top up and maybe a bit of whatever else I have once a year while doing some of the other pots, and it is mulched thickly, and underplanted with salvias and parsley. It gets water when I remember, and I move the pot into full sun in the cooler months so I continue to get fruit, and back into part shade in summer. Other than that, sweet fruits all year round! 

Definitely one of my favourites for fuss free pot growing in hot, humid, dry Brisbane!

Planted: 2016

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 3 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Panama Berry (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: - I only planted this tree in a lrage pot a couple of months ago and it is growing like mad! Long branches and weeping foliage makes this a very attractive tree. It easily grows a few inches every week at this point. The tree doesn't seem to mind frequent watering when in a pot with well draining soil. I mixed in fresh horse manure and a compost blend with just some cheap hardware store cane potting mix and it seems to love it. I also give my plants a regular (weekly) dose of worm castings, and a bit of blood and bone just to give it a start. 

Planted: 2017

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Panama Berry

Comments: -

wonderful flavour

Qty: 2

Pollination: No

Panama Berry ^10/10

Comments: - I've only ever had 2 berries, one from a friend at work who bought one in for me to try.  That convinced me that I HAD to have this tree in my yard.  The most beautiful tasting berry - sort of like caramel.  The second one I just ate off my little tree.  Just as gorgeous.  Only complaint - they are tiny and my tree, while growing fast, is still not big enough to produce enough to satisfy me.

Planted: 2014

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 0.5 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pest Control: No pests so far except the chickens - they will eat the fruit off the plant as it is still small enough for them to reach

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^9/10

Comments: - Moved to new location, water hungry,  not watered sufficiently. 

Planted: 2011

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn and Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Yearly

Panama Berry

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^2/10

Comments: - Seemed very susceptible to dry conditions - even in spring when it wasnt extremely hot. 

Comments

Panama Berry

Panama Berry (Seedling)

Comments: -

By all reports very popular with the kids, trialling this in a pot, supposed to be very hardy, loving the sun and not the cold & not needing special care hopefully. Flowering now with a few small fruits on it which is nice!

Planted: 2012

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Panama Berry

Panama Berry

Comments: -

Fast growing good looking tree. Planted in Sep 2011 and it is nearly 2m tall, but still no fruit. I had one berry so far. Flowers are falling off for some reason. I hope it starts fruiting soon. I read about this tree and decided to grow it for the supposedly abudant fruit.

Fruiting Months February

Planted: 2011

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 1 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

Grasshoppers are hand picked and fed to chickens.

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Why are the flowers falling off?

Comments

Panama Berry

Panama Berry

Comments: -

Planted in November. Second picture is April. Now 3 x 3 m. Absolutely covered in berries and flowers. The perfume and taste is lovely, and the flowers attract a lot of bees. No fruit fly or any other problems other than having to prune often to keep it in check. Fruits all year, but tails off in winter.

Planted: 2009

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

First Fruited: 2 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

This is among my favourite trees. Fastest growing fruit tree I've ever seen, most prolific fruiting fruit tree I've ever seen, easiest care fruit tree. The fruit are lovely little fruits - tasting a bit like caramel corn or the popcorn jelly belly lollies. There would have to be around 1000 fruits on the tree at all times during the warm months...

Keep tree pruned by cutting off the top half every few months. you dont need much tree to get plenty of fruit!

Fruiting Months January, February, October, November, December

Planted: 2010

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 10 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 50% in Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Never

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^9/10

Comments: -

I love this tree!!!!  It is so easy to look after, and the birds and insects seem to leave the fruit alone, as it seems to hang below the leaves, and is quite hard to see. It's a shame that the fruit are so small as they are so sweet and yummy.

Planted: 2008

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Question:

horse manure, compost and mulch.

Panama Berry ^10/10

Comments: -

fast growing and great looking love a big pot

Height 3.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control:

none so far

Panama Berry ^5/10

Comments: -

Fruit does taste like arrowroot biscuits

Fruiting Months October, November, December

Planted: 2009

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Pest Control:

Lovely tree. Birds do love them.

Organic Status:Organic

Panama Berry ^9/10

Comments: - Lolly tree is a great description. Very easy to grow and pretty.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, October, November, December

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: cow manure

Organic Status:Organic

Panama Berry

Panama Berry ^9/10

Comments: -

Beautiful fruit - if the birds don't get it before me!!

Height 2 metres

Qty: 3

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: Yearly

Organic Status:Organic